Din Tai Fung, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Din Tai Fung restaurant is located on the 6th floor of Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An amazing dining experience if you have a love for Taiwanese dumplings! We had several different dishes all very yum! Xiao Long Bao (Steamed dumplings with broth inside) are served piping hot so you need to puncture the dumpling before eating. Be sure to put vinegar, soy sauce and ginger in the small dish and dip the dumpling into this (recommended for all of your dumplings!). The pork and veggie steamed buns are tasty and are the bigger size dumplings you see often on the streets. Both the shrimp and pork steamed dumplings were some of my favourites at Din Tai Fung. If you prefer fried dumplings, the fried wontons and mango and shrimp rolls are good, but my preference was for the steamed dumplings. We also ordered the hot and sour soup (large size) which can easily be shared amongst 4-5 people. The restaurant can get quite busy during peak hours, but their service is good and they are very efficient. You order the food on a tick box menu and give it to the waiter. If it is super busy and there is a line outside you can do this ahead of time while you are waiting to be seated. We had the bottomless cold tea which was the perfect accompaniment to the meal!
Din Tai Fung
6th floor Pavilion Mall
Pictures to follow, trying to get them off of my phone!
Lot No. : 6.01.05, Level 6
Tel. : 03-2148 8292
www.dintaifung.com.tw

Where is all the yummy food in KL?

Finding places that are truly deserving of being on The Yum List in Kuala Lumpur is hard work! I've been to three new restaurants this week, and while all of them were okay, none of them are worth a Yum List post. Disappointed and unsatisfied with my meals I decided to go back to a good old faithful - a place where I've eaten many times and have been very happy with food, ambience and service - and guess what ... "Closed for Renovation!" Not wanting to give up without a battle, I visited my favourite bakery after lunch and... you won't believe this... Out of Bread! I give up (this week anyway). Please send me your recommendations - my taste buds can't take the disappointment for much longer.:-(

Ludvigs in Sitka, Alaska

You might think that in the isolation of a small Alaskan island like Sitka, amidst the abundance of trees and wildlife, you would be hard-pressed to find culinary offerings other than what you can catch with your own two hands. An evening at the town's famous watering hole, The Pioneer Bar, might conjure up images of barbecue and cheese whiz. Imagine my delight when crossing the threshold of Ludvigs -- a small seasonal bistro run by chef Collette and her partner. Oh, what a little candle light and a good wine list can do after a day on a boat!

The heart of their menu, and their most successful dishes, feature Alaskan salmon, rock fish and King Crab. White Salmon (to some, albino) was particularly well appointed on brightly flavored risotto and sauced with a glorious tomato reduction. The Bistro Steak was unfussy and well-seasoned. Other dishes added a good portion of bacon, including the Tuscan scallops (a local favorite) and the day's fresh catch. While I'm no a stranger to a good porcine fix, bacon overpowered the delicately flavored fruit de mer. The Mediterranean dishes, like the Cioppino and Paella, were generous in seafood but fell a little flat on the palate. Our meal ended on a highest of notes -- desserts and cappuchinos-- with a lemony cheese cake and a perfectly crisp creme brulee.

Kim Gary Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

I've walked past this Hong Kong style restaurant many times and it has been packed full of locals. Finally I decided to try it out for myself. I'm not usually keen on chain outlets but I was feeling brave so risked my taste buds and entered. The high turnover caused by the very healthy crowds all day long meant our food was very fresh and steaming on arrival. I tried out a baked pork, rice and cheese dish which came as a set including a dessert, drink and hot soup. My wife had Shanghai beef soup noodles and they were tasty too. In summary, good price, good food, worth a visit.

Kim Gary Restaurant

The Curve
Lot 140, First Floor, The Curve
6 Jalan PJU 7/3, Mutiara Damansara,
47800 Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 603-7727 8408

http://www.kimgary.com.my/

Theobrama Chocolate Lounge, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Theobrama Chocolate Lounges are dotted all over the city in shopping malls and at the airport. I've visited the ones at The Curve, Pavillion and the LCCT. Delicious, simple, hot chocolate is the reason to come. My favourite is the Ms. Coco - Dark Belgium chocolate drops melted in hot steamy milk. Hubby's tooth is a touch sweeter so he a reliable customer for the white chocolate version, the Snow White.

Theobrama Chocolate Lounge
Lot G52, The Street
The Curve, Mutiara Damansara
47800 Petaling Jaya
Selangor, Malaysia
03 77221848
www.chocolatelounge.com.my